Join filmmaker Aaron Strand ("Withdrawal") and Nuçi’s Space for a powerful conversation on mental health and creativity. This panel explores how artists can transform personal struggles into impactful public stories—ethically, responsibly, and with care for themselves and their communities.

 

Available to Day Pass, Full Screening Pass, and All-Access Pass Holders

Hosted by Aaron Strand (Withdrawal) and author Teri Drake-Floyd (Community Engagement Supervisor at Nuçi’s Space), this panel explores the power of mental health narratives in art—discussing how artists can protect their well-being while working with difficult material, how to responsibly support collaborators, and how to engage meaningfully with affected communities throughout the creative process.


About the Speakers:

Teri Drake-Floyd
- is Community Engagement Supervisor at Nuçi’s Space and a published author of several works, including six novels under the pen name Lillah Lawson.

Aaron Strand
- Aaron is a filmmaker and podcaster with a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His films and scripts have been featured at festivals including Austin, Atlanta, Oxford, and Manchester. His podcast Behind the Slate has ranked among the top 10 film history podcasts in the U.S. His debut feature, Withdrawal, will have its Athens premiere at the Athens Film Festival.

Sofía Palmero (they/she) - Follow Sofía on Instagram
- Sofía is a wickedly smart, fat, queer, Latine born in Venezuela, raised in Florida, and now a 9-year resident of Atlanta, GA. With a background in psychology and sociology, Sofía writes about mental health, friendship, and love, exploring complex characters and existential themes through intimate stories infused with comedy. Sofía seeks to infect her audiences with hope, daring them to ask the question: What if everything works out? They are currently in the final stages of becoming a certified Mental Health Coordinator. A self-proclaimed jack of all trades and master of words, Sofía is also an actor, dramaturg, producer, and occasional director.